The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-09-29

alteration In the school house he fired
upon him and inflicted wound which
promised, for time, TO prove fatal but
of which Dodge has fully recovered,
Davis was fellow of such previous good
repute and the circumstances we've OF
such an unjustitllable nature ON the part
of Dodge in trying to break up the school
that no action has been taken up to thl
time in the matter and he has now eScap-
ed from a very severe offence with Il light
penalty. The civil suit of Dodge VS. Da-
Wis for damag eS received from the shoot
ing Is still ON the docket.
All the jury cases being disposed of, di-
vorce suits and court business was the or
der of the day on Tuesday. In the after
noon Horace Blanchard plead guilty to
selling liquor ON five different occasions
and was fined $50 and costs, Chas, Il,
Day also appeared and plead guilty to
stealing horse and buggy, Mr.. Cud-
worth in his behalf made some statements
to the court to the effect that Day had,
previous to theft, being youth of good
repute and that his mother depended upon
him for support, He said that there
were certain things back of the crime
that could not be explained. Aida wits
were produced from different parties
which substantiated counsers statements,
The matter appeared in such indefinite
shape that the court decided to defer
Judgment until Wednesday when Day
will appear in his own behalf and make
explanation of the crime. Day is II hand
some youth of 49, is well educated and
good speaker.
q. T. Shanks, editor of the SITTER,
came down on the afternoon train and re-
ceived his fine. His counsel, A. +. Cud-
worth and l.. NJ. Reed both made argu-
ments to the court why the fine should be
made light. Mr.. Cudworth gave brief
history of the events which lead to the
publication of the lbelous article. He
explained how the Reformer had again
and again attempted to bring Mr.. ShanEs
name into i'll repute by publishing i'll its
editorial columns matters which bore
upon the past history of the editor of the
SITTER, but which had no bearing upon
the politics of either. These attacks he
claimed were malicious and We're intend
ed to injure Shanks. This mode of jomn-
alistic warfare he adopted and pub
liShcd libclous article touching the pri
waite life of Mr.. Davenport. In this ar
ticle Mr.. Shanks gave form to rumol
which he had heard many times and which
was in circulation, as counsel claimed
not only in Windham county but also tc
q greater or less extent. all over the state.
In this connection Mr.. Cudworth read an
item which appeared in the editorial col
umn of the Argus and Patriot in January
1886 in which no names are mentioned
but which was intended for Mr.. Daven-
port by the universal testimony of politi-
ticle was substantially the same as the one
which appeared in the SITTER one year Ia
ter. OF this article Mr.. Shanks was
knowing. Mr.. CudWorth stated further
that when it became known to Mr..
Shanks that the rumOr was unfOunded, he
made a fair and square rctraction of the
whole matter in the next issue. This
ought to have a bearing on the amount of
the fine. Judge l.. NJ. Reed said in ans
wcr to Mr.. DaycnpOrt's counsel who ar
gued that it was because Of the reflection
cast upon his dead wife and the spread OF
the false rumOr among his friends and
family that lie was prosecuting the suit
that Mr.. Davenport himself was the one
who was largely responsible for the pub
licity of the matter since he had spread il
broadcast in his own paper, which has ;
ten fold larger circulation than the SIF
TER. If the affair had stopped with tht
article in the SITTER and the retractiOn
as it ought, the publicity which Mr.. Dav
exports counsel mentioned would have
been avoided. At the conclusion of Mr.
Reeds argument Mr.. C. B. Eddy said ;
few words in behalf of the State which
were followed by the fixing of the fine a
5000 by Judge Ross with cost amountin.
to Sl5.25. The editor of the SITTER ap
, peared on Wednesday and paid the fine
, On the same day John Day, alias Agal
I was sentenced to 2 - years to the h0us
t Of correction. In the replevin suit, Clay
ton VS. Ray, judgment was rendered 70
plaintiff. Court rose to-day at noon.